Only Way Out
by Saiyasha Misamurai
Summary: When Sarah learns something horrible has happened to her family, she begins to lose faith in the world. Then she remembers; this isn't the only world she knows. (Slightly dark themes.)
1. Chapter 1

The days here were so… cold. She almost couldn't and stand it, but she still had more than three years to go.

The weather recently had been rather violent; today being the fourth of a particularly nasty blizzard. Comes with the territory when you live in the mountains, she supposed. At any rate, classes had been cancelled because the professors couldn't get through the roads, and none of the students could really leave, either. So Sarah huddled inside her dorm room, drinking hot water and curling up in a blanket. She stared into the madness outside. The power was down. Her peers were playing some ridiculous game in the hall. Her roommate was sleeping in. What could she do to pass the time?

'_I have reordered time…'_

What? Where had she heard that before? And why think of it now? The words, the voice; It was a vivid memory, but she couldn't place it for the life of her. She furrowed her brow. The voice too… she _knew _it from somewhere… '_Isn't that generous?'_

KATHUNK! The door jolted abruptly, and Sarah's heart jumped up into her throat. "OW! Sonuva… I think you broke something!" the muffled voice echoed through her door. She sighed in agitation, swallowed her heart back down and looked out the window again.

Who had she spoken to about reordering time? Had she seen it somewhere? In a book? No, she recalled the voice clearly. A movie then?

THRUNK. Impact by something hard was causing her hollow door to reverberate; this was annoying. Even her sleeping roomie was tossing at the disruption.

She left the comfort of her blanket and stomped to the door, flinging it open. "Hey- do you really have to do that out here?" She tried to ignore the biting chill of the hallway. She'd put a bath towel at the crack of the door to keep it insulated and was now painfully aware that all her hard-earned warmth was escaping rapidly.

"Sorry. Just bored, ya know?"

Apparently they were playing mattress wrestling, or mattress wars. Something that involved tying mattresses around yourself and barreling into someone else at high speeds.

"Can't you take that into the basement?"

"But it's cold down there!"

"It's cold in here, too."

"Yeah, but the floors ain't concrete."

"Then go into the lounge, or something."

The one arguing with her scratched his head, "Yeah… yeah, I guess we can do that. Sorry."

She didn't waste any more heat on a reply; she just closed her door and tackled her blanket. "Ugh, not the same…" she whined to no one. Using her toe, she felt for the dial on the heater at the foot of her bed and clicked it on before opting to fall asleep. What a crummy winter.

It was dark, but warm. Where was she? She wondered, but already knew. She just couldn't think about it, or she'd forget again.

Firelight flickered at the end of the stone corridor, up a flight of stairs. The orange shadows danced on the far wall, and she assumed the source would lay at the height of the stairwell. She took a step when something whispered.

…_Time…_

She spun in full circle. Who had said that?

…_I can be cruel…_

"Hello?"

…_You cowered before me…_

"Who's there?" She was at the foot of the stairs, but her breathing seemed much more labored than it should have been. When had she started to sweat?

…_Sarah, beware…_

She took a step, and another. Anxiety welled up inside as she slowly rounded the spiral.

…_You can have everything…_

Just a bit further…

…_Just let me rule you…_

A fireplace! She could see it! But who was there?

…_Do as I say…_

A wooden door, wide open. Beckoning her on.

…_Just fear me…_

Legs. Someone _was_ in there! It was him! Who was he? He was the man saying all these things, the man who'd said them before, but who was that?

_Love me!_

These words were frantic, and she sprinted up those last stairs. Before it's too late…

_STOP!_

The figure flashed briefly across her line of vision, but she couldn't make anything out. She was at the landing now, and she out stretched her hand. She wanted to reach... to touch… but…

With a thunderous finality, the door closed before her.

_THUMP, THUMP, THUMP._

Sarah bolted upright. Someone at the door.

Groggily, she scurried up and stumbled across the room, fiddling with the handle and opening it up to glare at whoever had interrupted her dream.

"Aunt Kristen?" Her short, plump, red-nosed aunt was sniffling in the hall, all bundled in layers and shivering like a wet dog.

She was a bit dumbstruck. "Erm… what brings you here?"

"Sarah." Her breathing seemed shaky and nervous. "I, ah, I came here to bring you news. Nobody could reach you by the phones, you see, or you'd have been told a while ago, and I… I am so sorry to have to tell you like this, to have to _be _the one to tell you, but someone had to and I was closest to you and I'm really not sure how to put it into words…"

Sarah's breath hitched. "What's wrong?"

The older woman seemed to look at the floor and inhale sharply, "Oh God… how do I say this?"

"Just _say_ it." The suspense was driving her crazy.

"It's your parents. And Toby. There was an accident in the car and…"

Sarah looked at her expectantly. "_And_…?"

"Sarah, no one made it."

The myriad of hypotheses flooding her mind came to a grinding halt. "W-what?"

"I'm sorry."

She looked at her aunt in disbelief, "They're gone."

She nodded.

"As in _dead. _You're sure? How do you know?"

"Your uncle saw them himself. He identified them. It's true, Sarah."

She was feeling numb. "Oh. Okay."

"Will you be alright?"

_I don't know._ "Yes, I'll be okay."

"Would you like to stay with family tonight?"

"N-no. Thank you. I need to be alone."

"Well, if you're sure." She went on a little more about something Sarah didn't really hear. Something about a service, relatives. Sarah could only nod on, pretending to hear. When her aunt finally left, Sarah wasn't sure what to think. She didn't know what to feel.

_I need to feel something, don't I? Why aren't I... sad?_

She stood in that doorway for twenty minutes before the chill finally got to her. Moving felt so foreign after standing still for so long. She closed the door, laid back in bed.

The silence echoed loudly, and a little bit – just a little – Sarah wanted to be dead too.


	2. Chapter 2

The storm had cleared up days ago, but Sarah couldn't bring herself to go to class. Her whole world had collapsed and things like school seemed stupid when things like family were dead.

She hadn't told anyone about what happened. Her roommate had assumed she was just going through a bad breakup, and Sarah hadn't felt like correcting her. She didn't want to talk to anyone about it, no one at all. But she didn't want to sit here and be depressed, either.

She slowly got to her feet. Her eyes puffy and red, and her hair a mess. She'd just… talk to him. About nothing. It had been years since they'd last spoke, so perhaps he'd be surprised, but he was a friend. And that was exactly what she needed right now.

She entered the bathroom and shut the door. It was quiet. Gazing into the mirror, she took in her disheveled appearance, but failed to really notice. The more she thought about him, the less patient she could stand to be.

"Hoggle," she rasped out, "Wherever you are… I need a friend. Please…" It took more effort than it might have been worth to keep the tears back as she pleaded. She held out as best she could, but the moment the short little goblin appeared in her bathroom, she collapsed to her knees and broke down once more.

* * *

"I just don't know what to do, Hoggle… I miss them. I miss them so much."

She was hugging a pillow to her chest. They'd moved onto her bed to talk.

"You got a tough brain, girl. And a hard spirit. Whatever you do, you'll find yourself in the right place."

"But how can you know?"

"I know 'cuz no one can go to the wrong place."

"Why not?"

"'Cuz they're there. It ain't the wrong place or they wouldn't be there."

"But why are they there?"

"How should I know? You've gotta figure that out. I'm just here to tell you to keep lookin', and keep thinkin'. If you stop lookin' you won't ever find nothin'."

"I don't know if that makes any sense or not."

Hoggle shrugged. "I'll tell you this though. As long as you think about them, they ain't gone."

Sarah didn't say anything. Hoggle went on.

"You know what they'd say to this, or do 'cuz of that. You _know _'em. They're livin' inside of you, now."

It was a full five minutes before Sarah could bring herself to respond. "Thank you, Hoggle," she said, just barely above a whisper. And then they were quiet together.

* * *

Sarah woke up to the sound of the door slamming shut. Kate had just come in from class.

"Hey, you. Stopped crying, have we?"

She only nodded.

"Ew! What the hell is that thing?" Kate wrinkled her nose at Hoggle, who'd fallen fast asleep next to her.

"Oh, that's… um… a toy. It's my goblin stuffy."

"Well it's wicked ugly," she tossed her backpack on her bed. "I was gonna go play pool with some of the guys. You wanna come? It's gonna be fun…"

"No, I think I'll stay in."

Kate shrugged, "Suit yourself." She grabbed a cue stick from the closet and left again.

Sarah watched the door for a moment before looking back at Hoggle. He really was an amazing friend. How many could claim to have a goblin friend, and such a kind one, at that? She must be the luckiest girl alive.

And then she thought of her family again. Well, maybe just sort of lucky.

* * *

"Hoggle?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think… maybe… I could go back with you?"

"What, to the underworld?"

"Yeah."

Hoggle frowned. "You sure you wanna do that?"

Sarah nodded.

"Well, I wish I could girly, I really do… but Jareth's the only one who can bring humans to the underworld."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay."

"I'll come back to see you. And Ludo and Ser Talksalot, too."

Sarah smiled, "I know you will."

"Alright then. I guess, 'til next time."

He waved, and she waved back, and then he was gone.

Things felt a little bit heavier when he left. Like she was alone again.

_Jareth. _If she wanted to go back… he was her only choice. No. She wasn't that desperate.

Not yet.

She lay back on her bed, her mind wandering idly on the subject of the Goblin King for a time. "Generous… did he actually believe that?" He said he took Toby because she asked him to. She also asked him to give Toby back; where was his generosity then?

What would he do, if she asked him to take her there? He'd try to trick her again. It wasn't worth it.

She stared at the ceiling. Jareth. Hmph. He wouldn't get her this time.

"Oh!" Time… Jareth! Her dream had been of Jareth! But then… what did that mean?

"Ugh… this is so… tiresome." She just wanted to sleep.

Her eyes were almost closed when she heard something. The wind? No, that couldn't be it. Didn't sound right. She sat up and looked outside, only to meet the eyes of a big, white snowy owl. She frowned.

"You…"

She didn't know what to do for a moment. For an instant – just an instant – she was terrified. But she quickly regained herself and walked to the window.

"I won't do it. I don't know why you're here. You're not going to fool me again."

The owl simply stared.

"You hear me? I won't! So just stop watching me, okay? Go away, already!"

It blinked.

"I'm not that weak anymore, so just get out of here!" She smacked the window in order to spook the owl, but only achieved a sharp pain in her hand. She hugged it to her chest and hissed while bouncing on her toes. "Bad idea. Ouch…"

The owl was still there. "Stupid bird."

She sat on her bed. She'd been sleeping far too much lately; perhaps finally leaving campus would do her some good. She could go… see a movie, or have dinner. Maybe go shopping.

She remembered how she used to go shopping with Irene, and watch movies with Toby. She felt sick all of a sudden.

"Maybe I should give myself more time."

There was that word, again. It seemed to be the source of all her problems, lately.

She picked up Lancelot from her nightstand. She'd got him back from Toby when he turned four and indignantly announced that as a big boy he had no need for stuffed animals. That was right before she left for college, and he also hinted that she might need the little bear to look out for her, being all by herself somewhere strange.

There was a red light flashing where she'd just taken Lancelot from. The answering machine. Someone must have called while she slept. Sarah leaned forward and pushed the button.

"Hey, Sarah; this is Auntie Kristen. I'm just calling to see if you're going to be coming with me Sunday; the funeral's at four and I'll be driving there. If you don't have a way to get there you're perfectly welcome to come with me, just call me and let me know… Okay then, I guess I'll talk to you when I talk to you. Bah-bye."

She cuddled the bear close. She didn't sob this time- just thought. Thought about her options. Thought about what was here for her. Thought about whether or not it was all worth it. She thought until she couldn't anymore, and dozed off like that, with a white barn owl staring at her through the window.


	3. Chapter 3

_It's so difficult limiting myself to one chapter a day. I'm already working on chapter five. _

* * *

It was Sunday and Aunt Kristen was fussing all about, trying to find something suitable for Sarah to wear.

"I don't like black," she protested meekly, to which her aunt simply huffed.

"You can't go to a funeral in jeans and a t-shirt, it's disrespectful! Now take this and go change in the bathroom. Go!"

Sarah shuffled away, honestly not caring anymore. She was being swept away to see… to see them. Dead. Pale. All dressed in their church clothes. Lying in a casket. It wasn't right. The hardest part about it to accept, however, wasn't her father, but _Toby_. Why him?

She slowly stripped to her underwear, and then stopped to look in the mirror. Could she even do this? She wasn't sure.

_You got a tough brain, girl. And a hard spirit._

They were still alive inside her. She heaved a sigh and put the dress on.

"Are you all ready? Go out and wait in the car, then. I'll just be a moment," her aunt ordered. "Oh! And don't forget a jacket!"

* * *

Sarah sat in the passenger seat with the car running. It was a couple of minutes but her aunt emerged. They were on the road shortly.

"Now it's about an hour's trip; we'll be going to the house first, where they'll show the bodies on display. Then we'll all move on to the graveyard for the burial. Just let me know if you need to step out or be alone. If you want to go out, if you need _anything_, just tell me, okay?"

"Okay." Sarah felt a little queasy to be honest. She didn't know if she'd be able to keep control of herself.

Kristen looked down to see the bear in her lap. "What's his name?"

Sarah was pulled back from her train of thought, "What?"

"The bear. What's his name?"

"Why does he have to have a name?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. He's important enough for you to bring him along. I just figured you would have named him."

"Oh. Lancelot."

"Is that some kind of euphemism? A guardian angel, maybe?"

"I don't know. I guess so."

* * *

The apologies and sympathies and condolences were smothering her, and they hadn't even gotten to the door. As soon as everyone heard little Sarah had arrived, they all rushed out to greet her.

She couldn't tell who they were, partially because of the rain but also because most of them kept their heads down. Her responses were automatic, either nodding or briefly uttering a 'thank you'. After making their sentiments known they would step aside to let her through, and she made her way to the front door like that. It was almost like a game, she thought. A very tedious one.

"Where are they?" She whispered to her aunt after they'd made it inside.

"The dining room, I believe." It sounded so normal, when she said that. As if her dead family being on display in the dining room was perfectly natural.

There were a few people inside, too, but when they saw her they simply looked away. It was strange to see so many familiar faces in her home, but so somber. She was used to holidays, not…

There it was. The dining room. The place where she ate dinner every night, not even five months ago. She remembered wiping mashed potatoes off Toby's face; Irene complaining about the terrible mess the neighbor had left in the yard after trimming their tree, daddy asking about her day and if she would please pass the salad.

She hovered a few feet away from the door, not sure if she was ready to see what was waiting for her. Could she handle it?

For some reason she was worried, not about seeing her dead family, but about how she would take it. She wanted to be stoic; she had no intention of crying in front of all these people. If it came to that, she'd… she'd run to the kitchen. Yes. Into the backyard, if she had to.

She went in, closing the double doors behind her. It was time to say goodbye, she supposed.

The casket nearest to her was her father. He looked… uncomfortable, for lack of a better word. And too pale for it to really be him. She didn't know what to say.

Taking one of his hands into hers, she noted how cold he was. It was hard to believe these hands had walked her to school, held her upright on her bike, patted her head at bedtime. The last time she'd seen him had been before she left for school. He'd driven her to the bus station and hugged her, and from the moment she boarded to the moment she turned the corner, her eyes had never left him. It had been like the end of the world in a small way. But then, she never expected it to come to this.

"Dad." Her voice was calm, tempered. This was her final goodbye; she couldn't break down yet. Not before saying what she needed to. "I know, I wasn't always the best daughter to you. Oh, how I know it. I never thought… I never imagined our time would be so short. I wish now that I'd spent every moment I could with you, instead of wasting them on being pouty, or screaming how much I hated my life. That I hated you. You had to know it wasn't true."

She stopped herself for breath. _Keep it together._

"I love you, Daddy. I always did, and I always will. And I promise, I'll never forget about you. You'll stay alive with me; I'll carry you everywhere. You and Toby, and Irene too… I'll always keep you together. Okay? Okay, dad?" She was crying again, but didn't stop talking. "I promise. You'll be with me on Christmas, and Thanksgiving, and your birthday. I won't ever leave you behind, not even if everyone else does. I'll always talk to you dad, and even if they lock me up in the nuthouse for it I know that I won't be alone. I'll never be alone. I'm sorry… this isn't about me…"

She wiped her face on her sleeve.

"I'm so scared to say goodbye. I'm afraid that if I do then it'll really be over. I'm scared that after they put you in the ground and bury you that you're going to wake up, alone and afraid, with no one to help you. But what I'm really afraid of, Dad…" She let out a sob. It was hard to bury the temptation to cry; she wanted to give in, but she knew if she didn't say this now she might never get another chance. "What I'm scared of happening most of all, is that no one will know you again. I want everyone to have met you, and to know what an amazing father you were, and to understand all your pain, and to know everything you've ever gone through. I can't stand to think that you might have died without all of the recognition you deserved. I just hope… I hope I'm enough, Dad. And I'm so sorry that I can't be more."

Her throat was swelling up. It was getting hard to breathe, let alone speak. "Goodbye, Dad." She gave his hand one last squeeze, and placed back on his chest.

She now approached her stepmother.

"Irene. I don't really know what to say to you. I wasn't the nicest, and I know we didn't always get along, but I want to thank you, because you deserve a lot of credit. I'm thankful first, for what a wonderful mother you've been to Toby. I never said it, but I saw in you what I remember my own mother having. It was almost like having her back again, sometimes when I'd hear you scold him, or try to get him to eat his veggies. I'll also never forget what a mom you were to me, even though I hated it then. You always wanted what was best for me, you treated me like family when I was more than cold. I'm not sure I deserved any of it. I… I really look up to you." Sarah swallowed hard. "I hope I can be as good a person as you were, someday."

It was Toby's turn. Sarah wasn't sure if she could do this a third time. This casket was small. Probably better that way… she might have climbed in with him, if she could.

She smiled through her tears, refusing to say goodbye to her brother with bitterness on her mind. "Hey, little guy." She choked on the last word and covered her mouth. This was killing her inside. To have to say a final goodbye to a four-year-old… to _Toby._ It was so cruel.

"Hi. I'm sorry that it's you in there. It shouldn't be. It really shouldn't. I'm really… _really_ gonna miss you." She couldn't say anymore. It was too much. She just watched him, ready for eternal sleep. There couldn't be a God; not one that would see such a beautiful little thing die. It just wasn't fair.

She took Lancelot from under her arm and him placed under Toby's. "There you go. I know you didn't want him anymore, but sometimes it's good to have someone familiar watching over you, when you're all by yourself in a strange place."

She leaned over to kiss his head and ruffle his hair. One of her tears rolled off her cheek and onto his. She didn't stay to brush it off; the only thing she could stand to do was leave.

* * *

Kristen had taken Merlin to walk in the procession. Sarah wished she hadn't; he would have been excellent to have here right about now.

She chose not to go to the burial. She wasn't sure she could take anymore, and she'd already said her goodbyes. Instead she stayed at the house. She thought maybe she could get a little bit of normalcy back if she turned the music on in her room and closed the door. She wouldn't see the emptiness, or hear the silence. It'd be just like high school.

Except it wasn't working. All she could think about was Toby. The fragile little boy all alone, buried underground. She just couldn't stop thinking how unfair it was.

"I wish I could take his place…" Sarah uttered wistfully. A tear ran down her cheek. "He didn't deserve any of this."

_Don't be afraid, Oh my love_

_I'll be watching you from above_

_And I'd give all the world tonight _

_To be with you_

'_Cuz I'm on your side, and I still care_

_I may have died but I've gone nowhere_

_Just think of me, and I'll be there_

She turned over indignantly and smacked her pillow. She picked the _perfect _tape for this mood. Blinking back tears, she shrieked, "Oh, _stop it_! Just _quit _it, already!"

When her radio quieted, she sat up. "What…?"

It took her a minute to stand, because she couldn't tell if it was her tape being eaten or if the power went out. When she _did_ get up to look, it seemed as though someone had simply turned it off. She pushed the 'play' button, just to be sure.

_Just think of me, and I'll-_

She stopped the tape. Well, maybe it was just a fluke, then. Like… faulty wiring, or something.

The roll of thunder outside sounded a lot louder than it should have.

And suddenly it all came back; the feelings of dread and uncertainty, only fueled by the quiet. The hiss of rainfall, paired with a howling wind. She looked at her bedroom door.

"No…"

It wasn't possible. She couldn't have…

She sped across her room and emerged frantically into the hallway. "Please tell me I didn't…"

Her parent's bedroom door was cracked and she pushed it in to investigate.

Empty. So painfully empty.

The balcony doors were wide open, though. She walked to them, looking around suspiciously. Wouldn't someone have closed them?

"I guess no one thought to," she sighed, pulling them shut. She turned to go back to her room when she collided with something metal, "Ouch!"

Rubbing her shocked nose, she eyed the obstruction. A breastplate…?

There was no question then, and she fearfully retreated from the looming figure.

"No… not you. You shouldn't have come!"

Jareth, unsmiling, came into view by the light of the moon. "Hello, Sarah."

* * *

_Feedback welcome!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you for the reviews, they're a big encouragement. :)_

_To_ Unique Fantasiser: _I'm glad Sarah's goodbyes had such an impact; I tried thinking about what I'd say to my dad if he ever died. As far as the funeral plans and Sarah staying at home, the house is now, for all intents and purposes, Sarah's. It hasn't been said in the story but she and her Aunt will be in town for a couple days before they return. Family had come from all over the country and it seemed appropriate to stick around until they went home. I haven't been to many funerals, myself, but I know that my Uncle had an open casket put on display in his living room. I don't know if that's how people normally do it, but I ran with it so I could have Jareth show up without pesky relatives getting in the way..._

_To _Sarah Rose: _I needed a sad song from before 1990, so I asked my dad. He came up with it right away, and it worked perfectly. Most sad songs back then were about broken hearts and not death, so I think I got lucky._

* * *

"So. Here we are. Again."

Sarah scowled. "I thought you were gone."

Jareth laughed bitterly, "I've been watching you, Sarah. I've seen your grief, your dissatisfaction."

"Why are you here?" she ground out. Her fists were balled, but she kept them firmly at her sides.

"Simple. You wished to trade places with your brother; I'm afraid it's not possible. No one can be brought back from the dead."

"Thanks for letting me know, I'll try to remember that-"

"But," he interrupted, raising a finger to her lips for emphasis, "I have another offer. It may interest you."

She searched his face, but he couldn't be read. She shook her head. "Not this. I'm not doing this again."

"I truly think you'll find it worth your while. I only ask that you hear me out, and afterward you can make your decision. Aren't you even a little curious?"

Sarah wasn't totally committed to her answer, but she wasn't about to give him any ammunition, "No."

"A pity," he remarked, but she was already leaving her room. She wasn't going to sit around here and listen to him; it was almost worse than being here alone. He followed her to the stairs, watching from the landing as she descended.

"And where are you off to?" he asked, an air of authority about him.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she dismissed his question, taking a coat from the rack. He narrowed his eyes.

"What do you intend to do?"

"I don't know."

"Why go anywhere, if you have no reason to?"

"I have a reason; I'm just not sure what it is yet."

"Quite confident, for someone so ignorant of their own intentions."

"Must you have an opinion on everything?" she questioned exasperatedly, opening the door and leaving before he could reply.

* * *

She hadn't said it, for fear of dragging on the conversation, but she was quite livid at his arrival. Couldn't he understand that wishes weren't what she needed right now?

Unless he could find Toby, raise him from the dead and place him in her arms, he was useless to her. Something about that thought struck her as wrong and somewhat morbid, but she ignored the feeling.

"Oh, what I wouldn't give for…" For what? For Toby?

'_It ain't the wrong place or they wouldn't be there_.' She remembered Hoggle's words. If what he said was true, then Toby was supposed to be dead.

She shuddered. Something about that felt wrong too.

Her thought were jumbling together and she was grappling with herself about whether or not to go back and listen to Jareth's offer; whether or not she could ever accept it, or if she'd abide by Hoggle's logic. It was making her crazy and she hated it, so she decided to spot thinking altogether. At least until she could focus.

Sarah hadn't realized it, but she'd been clenching her fists and moving at a furious pace the entire walk. She must have been quite a sight for onlookers, but even if she _had_ noticed any stares her mind was in a completely different place. She wasn't even sure where she was going; the only certainty for her now was the air rushing by her ears and the knowledge that if she stopped moving she'd be left alone with that terrible silence again.

She made like this for a good while- how long, she didn't exactly know, but long enough for the traffic lights to start flashing- until she arrived at the edge of the park.

The place, at least for her, had always been somewhat lonely. Most of the time that was the whole point. It seemed funny, in a black and white sort of way, how she'd just been craving company and was now hiding from it.

* * *

He didn't want to confront her here. Whatever he would do, he would do it another time, perhaps when she was feeling more open-minded. For now, watching from a distance would have to do.

She was lying on her back on a stone bench, eyes shut. Her breaths were shallow enough that her chest barely rose at all; by all senses, she appeared dead. But his keen ears picked up something in the wind; a whisper. It was faint, but unmistakably hers.

_"Out of the night that covers me,_

_"Black as the pit, from pole to pole,_

_"I thank whatever gods may be_

_"For my unconquerable soul."_

He couldn't place the rhyme; it certainly wasn't anything from his realm. But he could feel an energy flowing off of her, like those words had some hidden power.

_"In the fell clutch of circumstance_

_"I have not winced nor cried aloud._

_"Under the bludgeonings of chance_

_"My head is bloody, but unbowed._

_"Beyond this place of wrath and tears_

_"Looms but the horrors of the shade,_

_"And yet the menace of the years_

_"Finds, and shall find me, unafraid._

_"It matters not how strait the gate,_

_"How charged with punishments the scroll,_

_"I am the master of my fate:_

_"I am the captain of my soul."_

* * *

Tears glittered on her face by the light of the street. They stung in the frigid cold of the winter night, but she ignored it. She chanted the poem, over and over as if it would protect her.

Protection? From what, Jareth?

No. As displeased as she was to have him back, she wasn't afraid of him. Frustration, annoyance in abundance, but no fear. Perhaps that was foolish of her.

No, what was gripping at her now– constricting her lungs and pounding her heart –it came from something else.

* * *

He'd stayed at his perch until she got up to leave. When he did move, it was swift and toward the house. He would wait for Sarah there, perhaps try to speak with her again. He'd need her cooperation for this; he had no clout this time around.

He arrived in less than five minutes, while for Sarah the walk was a half an hour, if not more. He'd have to find some way to pass the time.

In the end, he settled for a bit of light reading. Picking up a book from her nightstand, he made himself comfortable. It was a book of poems, and he planned to find the one Sarah recited in the park. It was as good an occupation as any, for now.

His heels kicked up on her vanity, her little chair leaned back on its rear legs, he flipped through the pages. He did so idly at first, but eventually found himself reading each word, utterly drawn in.

It wasn't until he heard the front door slam and Sarah's accusatory "_Jareth_!" ring throughout the household that he chose to put the book down, thinking perhaps that their discussion could wait until morning.

* * *

_Kudos to William Earnest Henley for being a brilliant poet._


End file.
